Apparatus for registering a fabric workpiece



Nov. 19, 1968 H, ROVIN 3,411,772

APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING A FABRIC WORKPIECEZ Filed Feb. 3, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [Fun-521 IFIIUEQZA.

/ 35 INVENTOR.

HERMAN ROVIN Nov. 19, 1968 H. ROVIN A 3,411,772

APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING A FABRIC WORKPIECE Filed Feb. v5, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q i g 22c IFIIEE': n E'n INVENTOR.

HERMAN ROVIN AT TORIVE Y5.

United States Patent Otfice 3,411,772 Patented Nov. 19, 1968 3,411,772 APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING A FABRIC WORKPIECE Herman Rovin, East Norwalk, Conn., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Ivanhoe Research Corporation, Robert A. Hack, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 524,897 9 Claims. (Cl. 271-52) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates in general to apparatus for handling fabric workpieces and more particularly it relates to an apparatus comprising a hollow cylindrical rotatable member with a row of suction openings therein for applying a sequence of lateral impulses to register a fabric workpiece at a particular desired location so that its position is accurately determined in readiness for further work to be performed upon it.

The registration of a fabric workpiece at a known position is often required as the workpiece goes from any one position to a further position where work may be performed upon it. Initially, the cloth workpiece may be brought to the registration station, either manually or automatically, where it will be positioned fairly accurately, but the registration or final accurate positioning of the cloth workpiece is accomplished at the registration station. In the illustrative embodiment of the invention the workpiece at the registration station is oriented horizontally on a means for supporting it, such as a worktable, on which it is in an easy sliding relationship. Associated with the worktable or supporting means there is provided at least one cloth edge stop extending along one axis and perhaps a second edge stop lying generally along a second axis so that when the edges of the workpiece rest against the respective stops, its position will be specifically known. The registration is accomplished by applying to the fabric a plurality of force impulses so as to urge the edge of the workpiece towards the adjacent edge stop.

Among the advantages of the present invention are those resulting from the fact that the registering apparatus is enabled to be located entirely on one side of the cloth. Thus, the other side of the cloth is made completely accessible for other equipment, as may be desired.

Moreover, the character of the contact between the lateralr movement impeller is such that the energy is transferred to the workpiece to assure its desired movement toward the edge stop without causing too much acceleration of the cloth which might cause it to bunch up.

The present invention has for its object to provide an apparatus which will contact a fabric workpiece and cause it to move laterally under a plurality of impulses towards the fabric stop where the mechanism to cause the lateral movement is all stationed on one side of the fabric alone and this clears the space on the opposite side of the fabric to be used for other work performing apparatus.

Thus, the present invention provides an apparatus for registering a fabric workpiece and urging it towards a fabric edge stop where it will be in a predetermined accurately known position. This apparatus includes means for supporting the workpiece, an edge stop means in general alignment with the supporting means, and a lateral movement impeller for moving the fabric workpiece toward the edge stop. This impeller has a hollow rotatable mem her with suction openings therein and means for drawing a reduced pressure in the hollow impeller member. Such member is arranged to be rotated in a predetermined direction so that the hollow member is in contact with the workpiece in an area near the suction holes to cause the workpiece to be impelled edgewise against the stop means so as to register the workpiece thereagainst.

In this specification and in the accompanying drawings are described and shown fabric workpiece registration apparatus embodying the present invention, but it is understood that these examples are not intended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the invention. These illustrations are given so as to disclose fully and clearly to those skilled 'in the art so that the reader may appreciate how this invention can be adopted and modified in many forms.

The various objects, aspects and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a partial perspective view of a worktable installation as an illustrative embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section illustrating a partial view of the open end of a hollow rotatable member;

FIGURE 2A is a partial vertical section illustrating a view of the bearing support and drive means at the closed end of the hollow rotatable member;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical transverse section taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the arrangement of the hollow rotating member without the worktable being present; and

FIGURE 5 is a greatly enlarged view of a portion of the hollow rotatable member illustrated in FIGURE 4 to show the construction at the flexible interconnecting bend between the two rotating member portions.

In FIGURE 1 there is shown an apparatus 10 for registering a fabric workpiece 12 (shown in dash and dotted outline) into a predetermined position. This registration apparatus 10 includes a means 14 for supporting the workpiece, such as a smooth highly polished worktable, on which there are positioned fabric edge stops 16 and 18. These stops define a predetermined position so that when the fabric workpiece 12 has its edges 12A, 12B against the edge stops 16 and 18 respectively, the fabric workpiece will be in a predetermined position for the further manufacturing operations that may be performed upon it, and it may be so positioned that when subsequent apparatus, not shown, works upon it or moves it therefrom, it will always be in a known position.

In the supporting means 14 there is formed a slot 20 which is here shown as having two separate portions or legs positioned at an angle one with respect to the other, for example, such as a right angle as illustrated in FIG- URE 1. In this slot 20 is positioned a lateral movement impeller 21 having a hollow rotatable member 22 with one portion 22A lying in one leg of the slot 20 and another portion 22B lying in the other leg of the slot with a bendable hollow torque-transmitting drive connector 22C negotiating the angle between the two leg portions 22A, 22B of the hollow rotatable member. It is noted that the edge stops 16 and 18 are positioned at an angle one with respect to the other so that they extend generally parallel with the respective edges 12A and 12B of the fabric, and the .two portions 22A and 22B of the hollow member also have their respective axes of rotation at the same angular relationship one with respect to the other so that they also extend parallel with these edge stops. The top of the hollow member 22 protrudes only slightly above the surface of the support means 14, being almost tangent with the plane of the support means.

As seen more clearly with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 the hollow rotatable member is enveloped within the slot to a large extent by a vacuum shield 24, the details of which will be described hereinafter.

The hollow rotatable member portions 22A and 22B have staggered rows of suction openings 26 therein providing a direct communication between the outside of the hollow member 22 and its interior 27. Further, there are rotating drive means 28 which can be adjusted in speed for rotating the hollow member 22 and both of its legs 22A, 228 in a predetermined direction and at a desired speed as shown by the arrows in FIGURE 4. For example, as shown in FIGURE 2A, this rotating drive means 28 includes a pulley sheave 29 secured to a shaft 31 attached to the closed end 33 of the hollow rotatable member with a V-belt engaging a drive sheave 34 of adjustable effective diameter to adjust the speed of rotation of the impeller 21.

Thus, when a fabric workpiece 12 is laid upon the surface of the table 14 over the lateral movement impeller 21, the workpiece will have imposed upon it a successive number of impulses brought about by the suction which is drawn Within the hollow member 22 and in turn pulls the cloth into a generally tangent contact relationship with this member, and the cloth is thereby impelled laterally toward the edge stops 16 and 18.

As shown in FIGURES 2 and 2A, the shaft 31 is supported in a bearing 30, and the opposite end of the hollow member 22 runs in a bearing 36C supported in a stationary cylindrical sleeve 32 to which there are connected means 35 for drawing a suction in the interior 27 of the hollow member 22 during operation. The hollow member portions 22A and 22B are each rotatably supported at their various ends in bearings of a conventional type A, 36B, 300 (FIGURE 4).

The means for drawing a suction within the interior 27 of the rotating hollow member 22 includes a suction source, such as a fan or other pump device, connected through a vacuum inlet duct 36 to the stationary sleeve 32. This vacuum inlet 36 is adjustable by a damper 37 so that the amount of vacuum within the interior 27 can be adjusted for light or heavy fabric.

In order to accomplish registration of the cloth workpiece 12 with the two edge stops 16, 18, the workpiece should be gently urged first in the direction of edge stop 16 and then in the direction of edge stop 18. This is accomplished by the suction holes 26 in the hollow rotating member 22 being angularly displaced in phase relationship between the two portions 22A and 228. The staggered row of holes in portion 22B when in the upward position, as shown in FIGURE 4, are in the position to operate on the cloth and thus move it towards stop 18. At this instant the portion 22A of the hollow rotating member has the holes 26 covered by the vacuum shield 24 and thus portion 22A is not impelling the fabric when portion 22B is working, and vice versa. It should be noted that the hollow drive connector 22C is fastened to the portions 22A and 22B and is formed by a convoluted tube so that it is bendable but is capable of transmitting the torque from one to the other. Thus, when the power is applied to sheave 29, portion 22A is rotated along with the drive connector 22C which in turn drives portion 228 with the suction holes 26 in 228 first operating on the cloth workpiece 12 to move it towards the stop 18 and then the suction holes 26 in portion 22A work on the workpiece 12 to move it laterally towards edge stop 16 with the suction being effective in both portions 22A and 228 through the hollow connector 22C.

The apparatus illustrated is such that the hollow rotatable member 22 serves as a lateral movement cloth impeller by rotating the suction holes 26 in a particular direction in contact with the cloth workpiece 12. The action of this device can be most clearly seen with reference to FIGURE 3 wherein a portion of the worktable 14 is illustrated in section with its attached edge stop 16 and the workpiece 12 lying on the surface of the table 14 as shown with its edge 12A moving towards the edge stop 16. It can be seen that the suction holes 26, having been rotated angularly out of the position of tangency with the workpiece 12, are no longer effective in moving the cloth and there remains only the relatively minor impelling force that would result from the frictional engagement between the surface of the hollow rotatable member 22 and the workpiece 12. However, when the suction holes 26 again approach the cloth, effectively air pressure created by the suction in the holes 26 will cause the workpiece 12 to adhere tightly to the surface of the rotatable member 22 and thus there is an increased lateral movement due to the firm frictional engagement. The drawings, in FIGURES 4 and 5, show that the suction holes 26 are in staggered relationship, that is, adjacent holes are angularly displaced from each other. Thus, one of the rows of suction holes 26 engages the cloth first and then the adjacent one engages it subsequently as the hollow member 22 rotates. When both rows of suction holes are adjacent to the workpiece 12 the effective suction force is larger because the fabric partially blocks off both rows of holes. As the leading row of holes separates from the fabric, the air can enter through them, thus reducing the vacuum and enabling the second row of holes to separate readily from the fabric.

The suction action is caused to be more efficient by the utilization of a special form of vacuum shield 24 (FIG- URE 3). Here this shield 24 is disposed about the hollow rotatable member to allow the action of the suction through the suction holes 26 on the workpiece 12 only when the suction holes are just on the point of contacting the workpiece. This is brought about by the approach side 24A, the vacuum shield 24 is run up almost to the surface of the table, as shown in FIGURE 3, while the opposite side 24B terminates slightly below the horizontal point relative to the center lines of the hollow rotatable member 22. The net effect of the location of the ends 24A and 24B of the vacuum shield is that a strong suction is applied to the workpiece as suction holes approach contact with the workpiece during its rotation and a reduced application of suction occurs on the workpiece as the suction holes 26 rotate away from the workpiece 12 so as to release it readily.

It has been found that by applying vacuum to the interior of the hollow rotatable member and drawing air in through the suction holes 26 that the cloth or fabric workpieces 12 may be brought into firm contact with the hol low rotatable impeller and thus the frictional engagement brought about by this vacuum holding makes the impeller particularly effective to move the edge 12A of the workpiece towards a registration stop. Moreover by staggering the suction holes throughout the length of the rotating impeller, gradual and spaced, but gentle lateral impulses are imparted to the workpiece.

In addition, the drawing of the workpiece 12 against the surface of the rotating impeller 21 by the use of suction, completely eliminates the necessity for any additional apparatus stationed above the worktable and allows that area to be utilized most effectively for whatever other apparatus may be desired to be used in conjunction with further operations on the workpiece 12.

An additional feature of the hollow rotatable impeller using suction as illustrated in this invention is the arrangement of the vacuum shield 24- which is disposed about the hollow rotatable impeller 22 and which controls the time of application and the duration of the force of vacuum on the workpiece 12. It should be particularly noted in FIGURE 3 that by having the vacuum shield portion 24A high on the approaching side of the rotating impeller 22, that the vacuum is applied to the cloth 12 and therefore the force imparted to the cloth, only as it nears the top of rotation of the impeller rather than having the vacuum perhaps interfere with or slow up the cloth by an earlier application of suction to the cloth workpiece. Moreover the close envelopment of the hollow member by the shield conserves the work energy necessary to draw the suction. The vacuum member 21 provides the most efiicient timing of the gentle lateral work impulses so they may be easily applied to the cloth.

As a further feature of the unit, the slot 20 in the worktable 14 has a pair of triangular fillet blocks 38 stationed at its upper edge so as to minimize the distance between the rotating hollow impeller 21 and the edge of the worktable and thus reduce the amount of back air flow which could be drawn in and thus reduce the tendency of the cloth to be drawn down into the slot 20. This particular feature amplifies the action of the suction against the workpiece and makes it most effective for performing the intended lateral movement, while enabling the suction holes to separate readily from the fabric.

Although the support means 14 has been illustrated as a worktable, it is contemplated that some other form of support means may be used in its stead and the rotating suction impeller would be used in conjunction with such support means.

I have found that the diameter of the rotatable hollow member 22 may lie within the range from to 2 inches and it may protrude above the surface of the support means 14 by an amount in the range from to A of an inch, for these range-s of dimensions are those which I have found to operate to advantage with many different weights and types of fabric.

In this illustrative embodiment the axes of the two rotatable portions 22A and 22B of the hollow member are positioned at right angles one to the other, but it will be appreciated that other angles are used when setting up an installation for registering fabric workpieces in which the edges 12A and 12B are at an angular relationship other than 90. The edge stops l6 and 18 are also positioned at an angle corresponding to the angle between the edges 12A and 12B. In instances where it is desired to register only one edge of the fabric workpiece, for example where the work which is to be performed relates solely to the location of this one edge, then in such instances the two portions 22A and 22B of the hollow member are arranged in a straight angle and only a single edge stop or a single line of edge stops may be used extending generally parallel with the axis of rotation of the hollow member. In such instances an integral hollow member 22 may be used.

Although the edges 12A and 12B are indicate-d as being straight, it will be appreciated that in certain cases the workpiece will be cut in such a shape that its edges are curved. In these cases the apparatus is set up using edge stop means 16 and 18 having a curved configuration corresponding with the curved configuration of the edges of the workpiece. Sometimes it is more convenient to use a series of short stop strips arranged in end-to-end relationship instead of one long strip 16 or 18. With such a series of short strips it is'easy to provide an effectively curved edge stop by closely approximating the desired curve with a sequence of short strips appropriately positioned. In these cases the axis of the adjacent rotating hollow member is positioned generally parallel with a straight line which extends in such a direction as to average the desired curve. This position of-the axis of the rotating hollow member is not critical so long as it generally approximates parallelism with the line of extent of the adjacent edge stop means 16 or 18.

As used herein the term workpiece is intended to include individual pieces as well as subassembies or semifinished goods including two or more pieces or components secured together by suitable fastening, such as by sewing. The term fabric is intended to include woven goods, textiles, knitted goods and also nonwoven or felted, or perforate goods having a fabric-like texture suitable for use in clothing, headgear, pillow-cases, bed coverings, towels, home furnishings, and similar uses, regardless of whether the material of the goods is in one layer or multiple layers and regardless of whether the goods are natural, synthetic, or blended.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the apparatus of the present invention described above is well suited to provide the advantages set forth. It will also be appreciated from the foregoing that many possible embodiments can be made of the various features of the registration apparatus as described and that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense and that, in certain instances, some of the features of the invention can be used without a corresponding use of other features, all without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for registering the edge of a fabric workpiece into a predetermined position comprising table means for supporting the fabric workpiece, stop means in alignment with such table supporting means, a lateral movement impeller for applying a sequence of lateral impulses to the lower surface of the fabric workpiece resting upon said table supporting means for moving the workpiece edgewise toward said stop means, said impeller having a long, hollow cylindrical rotatable member with a row of suction openings therein extending longitudinally along said hollow cylindrical member, means for drawing a suction within said rotatable member, and means for continuously rotating said member in a predetermined direction in generally tangent contact with the workpiece with said row of suction openings applying a lateral impulse to the workpiece as said row sweeps by the lower surface of the workpiece during each rotation for applying a sequence of lateral impulses thereto for impelling said workpiece edgewise against said stop means to register the workpiece thereagainst.

2. Apparatus for registering the edge of a fabric workpiece as claimed in claim 1 in which said table supporting means defines a supporting surface upon which the fabric workpiece is slidable and a long-curved, vacuum shield positioned beneath said table supporting means and closely partially surrounding the perimeter of said rotatable member and extending up near to said table supporting surface in the region where said row of suction holes are revolving toward contact with the lower surface of the fabric workpiece.

3. An apparatus for registering a fabric workpiece according to claim 2 in which said vacuum shield is arranged to apply a strong application of suction to the workpiece as the row of suction holes approach contact with the workpiece and a reduced application of suction on the workpiece as the holes rotate away therefrom.

4. Apparatus for registering the edge of a fabric workpiece into a predetermined position comprising means for supporting the fabric workpiece defining a supporting surface on which the fabric workpiece is slidable, edge stop means in alignment with said supporting surface for engaging an edge of the workpiece lying upon said supporting surface, said supporting surface having an elongated slot therein, a lateral movement impeller including a long hollow rotatable member having a row of suction openings therein extending longitudinally along said member, suction source means communicating with the interior of said rotatable member for drawing a suction within said member, bearing means holding said long, rotatable member with its axis extending longitudinally beneath said slot and with the periphery of said member projecting up through said slot in contact with the workpiece, and means for rotating said hollow member in a predetermined direction repeatedly engaging said row of suction openings with the workpiece on said supporting surface applying gentle impulses to the workpiece impelling the workpiece edgewise against said edge stop means to register the workpiece thereagainst.

5. Apparatus for registering a fabric workpiece as claimed in claim 4 in which said fabric supporting means has a fillet extending longitudinally beneath said slot and along one edge of said slot closely adjacent to the rotatable member on the side thereof toward which said row of suction openings revolve as they disengage from contact with the workpiece.

6. Apparatus for registering a fabric workpiece as claimed in claim 5 in which said fabric supporting means has a cylindrical vacuum shield curving partially around said rotatable member and extending closely adjacent to the position occupied by the workpiece on the opposite side from said fillet.

7. Apparatus for registering a fabric workpiece into a predetermined position comprising means for supporting the fabric workpiece defining a supporting surface on which the fabric workpiece is slidable, a pair of edge stop means in alignment with said supporting surface and extending along respective lines for engaging two adjacent edges of the workpiece, a lateral movement impeller including a hollow rotatable member having suction openings therein, suction source means communicating with the interior of said rotatable member for drawing a suction within said member, means for rotating said hollow member in a predetermined direction repeatedly engaging said suction openings with the workpiece on said supporting surface applying gentle impulses to the workpiece impelling the workpiece edgewise against said edge stop means to register the workpiece thereagainst, said hollow rotatable member including a pair of separate portions each having suction drawn therein and each having respective suction openings, said separate portions being rotatable about respective axes at an angle one to the other, said axes each extending generally parallel with the line of the adjacent edge stop means, and rotating drive means for revolving the respective suction openings in said pair of rotatable member portions out of phase about their respective axes for applying impulses to the workpiece alternatively toward the respective edge stop means of said pair for registering said two adjacent edges thereagainst.

8. Apparatus for registering two adjacent edges of a fabric workpiece as claimed in claim 7 in which the suction source means communicates with one of said pair of kit portions of said hollow rotatable member and said portions of the hollow rotatable member are interconnected by a bendable hollow connector transmitting the suction from said one to the other, said bendable connector also transmitting torque between said portions.

9. Apparatus for registering two edges of a fabric workpiece comprising worktable means for supporting the fabric workpiece and having a fabric supporting surface on which the workpiece is slidable, a pair of edge stop means associated with said fabric supporting surface for cooperating with the respective edges to be registered, said pair of edge stop means being positioned for engaging the respective edges of the workpiece in a predetermined position, said fabric supporting surface having a pair of openings therein, a pair of rotatable impeller members positioned below said fabric supporting surface adjacent to said openings, said rotatable impeller members each having a plurality of suction holes therein, means for drawing a suction through said suction holes in each member, and drive means for rotating said rotatable impeller members in a predetermined direction with respect to said openings in the fabric supporting surface for bringing the rotating suction holes of the respective member in out of phase relationship into contact with a workpiece on said supporting surface to apply impulses to the workpiece alternatively toward the respective edge stop means for moving the workpiece edgewise toward said edge stop means so as to register the two respective edges of the workpiece against the respective edge stop means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 401,790 4/1889 Osborne 27174 X 2,309,979 2/1943 Pritchard 271-53 2,937,020 5/1960 Layden 27158 2,984,483 5/1961 Kist 27158 FOREIGN PATENTS 763,627 10/ 1950 Germany.

EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

R. I. HICKEY, Assistant Examiner. 

